The tenth Amrita Head and Neck Oncology postgraduate teaching program (AHEAD) was conducted during February 06-08, 2015 at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi. This was a comprehensive postgraduate teaching program for trainees in ENT, Head & Neck Surgery, Oral surgery, General Surgery and other allied specialties jointly organized by the Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Foundation for Head and Neck Oncology (FHNO), India. The program was attended by more than 135 delegates from all over the country.

Eminent head and neck oncologists from across the country covered important topics in head and neck oncology through didactic short lectures and interactive discussions. The topics covered included surgical anatomy, pathology, management and recent trends in oral cavity and oropharynx, para nasal sinuses, metastatic lymph nodes, parotid and other salivary glands, larynx and laryngopharynx, thyroid and parapharyngeal tumors. Other topics covered were imaging of head and neck, prosthetic rehabilitation, approach to skull base tumors and current status of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Distinguished speakers and faculty who spoke, in addition to the Amrita faculty, included Dr. T. Subramanyeshwar Rao, Chief Surgical Oncologist and Medical Director, Indo American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Hyderabad; Dr. Alok Thakar, Professor of ENT, All India Institute of Medical Sciences & Secretary FHNO; Dr. Gouri Pantvaidya, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai; Dr. Azeem Mohiyuddin, Otorhinolaryngologist, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka and many others in and around the country.

A book titled “Basic Concepts in Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology” was also released as a teaching manual on the occasion.